Spirit Lives

The Spirit Lives showcases the Brisbane Excelsior Band performing ANZAC and Commonwealth themed works for brass band.

Track Listing

The Dam Busters
Eric Coates’ Dam Busters March is iconic movie music from 1955. The music and film were both enormously popular and remain so. Arranged by W. J. Dawson, this dramatisation of Operation Chastise tells the story of the efforts of the Royal Air Force to destroy German dams during the Second World War with their revolutionary ‘bouncing bomb’.

Men of Harlech
Men of Harlech arranged by Gordon Langford is a widely used regimental march, especially by British Army and Commonwealth regiments historically associated with Wales. It is perhaps best known form the 1964 movie Zulu sung by the British troops before their final battle to answer the war chant of the attacking Zulus.

Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy
This classic made famous by The Andrews Sisters is performed by Brisbane Excelsior Brass Band’s world-class cornet section, featuring Paula Russell, Genevieve Smith and Laurence Smith. Written by Don Raye and Hughie Prince a year before the United States entered World War Two, this song, which was release among others with a military theme, anticipated that US engagement in the conflict was inevitable and was nominated for an Academy Award.

Nimrod
Written by Edward Elgar as a part of his Enigma Variations and arranged by D. Wright, the title refers to an Old Testament patriarch described as ‘a mighty hunter before the Lord’ and the piece was written as a tribute to Augustus J. Jaeger, one of Elgar’s editors and close friends. This well-loved, solemn variation is always played at the Cenotaph, Whitehall in London on Remembrance Sunday and is heard regularly at remembrance events around the Commonwealth.

Miller Magic
Glen Miller had more to do with bringing the American Jazz sounds to Britain than anyone else during the Second World War. This arrangement by D. Stephens is a compilation of Miller’s most famous tunes including: ‘Little Brown Jug’, ‘String of Pearls’, ‘Moonlight Serenade’ and ‘St. Louis Blues March’.

March 101
Arranged by the Brisbane Excelsior Brass Band’s principal tenor horn player, Ben Tubb, this march is a compilation of World War era military tunes including: ‘Oh You Beautiful Doll’, ‘It’s a Long Way to Tipperary’, ‘Colonel Bogey’ and ‘Pack Up Your Troubles in Your Old Kit Bag’. This march was written for the Brisbane Excelsior at the street march event at the 2015 Australian Brass Band Championships in Sydney, commemorating 100 years since the start of World War One.

Candle of the Lord
Peter Graham, commissioned by Howard Taylor, arranged this beautiful setting of a favourite Salvation Army hymn tune by joy Webb. Performed at the 2016 Australian Brass Band Championships in Adelaide, the Brisbane Excelsior Brass Band won the hymn category.

Keep Smiling Through
This compilation of popular songs arranged by D. Barry includes exciting works from this exciting period of musical history such as: ‘The Army, The Navy and The Air Force’, ‘Lilly Marlene’, ‘The White Cliffs of Dover’ and ‘We’ll Meet Again’ reminds us that beautiful things can still spring from terrible events.

March (The Great Escape)
One of the most popular war movies of all time starring Steve McQueen, James Garner and Richard Attenborough was release in 1963. ‘The Great Escape’ boasted a fantastic soundtrack; the main theme, arranged by M. Ellerby, as heard here is still a favourite among sports fans, especially at English soccer games.

Pokarekare Ana
Pokarekare Ana is a traditional Māori love song from new Zealaend believed to have been communally composed around the time of the outbreak of World War One by Tomoana. Arranged by T. Maunder, this arranged features Brisbane Excelsior Brass Band’s Principal Baritone player, Ross Moloney.

633 Squadron
633 Squadron was a 1964 British Film with a fictional plot drawing on several real Royal Air Force operations from the Second World War. Written by R. Goodwin and arranged by F. Bryce, this theme music remains especially popular at Christmas time in Britain.

Waltzing Matilda
The most famous Australian folk tune is surely the bush ballad, Waltzing Matilda written by Banjo Paterson in 1895. This arrangement by R. McAnally is used as the quick march of the 1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment and as the official song of the U.S. 1st Marine Division, commemoration the time the unit spent in Australia during the Second World War.

Evening Hymn and Last Post
In this beautiful combination of the Last Post and the solemn hymn ‘Abide with Me’ Benjamin Tubb paints a vivid picture where the listener can imagine the sun setting over an army camp as soldiers experience a few precious moments of peace and reflection.

Also included on this CD are recordings of the Last Post, Ode, Reveille, and Rouse, and the national anthems of Australia, New Zealand and Great Britain. Schools, the Returned and Services League of Australia and other community groups are invited to use these recordings at appropriate occasions where live music is not available.